France’s top sporting venue to adopt NFC ticketing

Stade de France, the 81,000 seater home to France’s international football and rugby fixtures, cup finals, music concerts and other events, has signed a deal with mobile network operator Orange that will see NFC ticketing introduced at the stadium from 2011.

The M-Stade project will cost €1.2m and will be introduced in two stages, Orange’s Bertrand Pladeau has told French news agency AFP. In phase one, ticket holders will be able to use their NFC phone as a virtual alternative to a standard paper ticket while, in phase two, additional services will be introduced.

The M-Stade solution will be tested out on 24 September during a Yannick Noah concert and is also set to be introduced at the stadium of French football team SM Caen.